Free-wheel and brake hub for bicycles



Jan; 15, 1924. 1,481",O46

P. BOURGARD FREE WHEEL AND BRAKE HUB FOR BICYCLES Filed April 5, 1923 410% @nrgaul Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

STATES- PROSPER BOUBGARD, on DOLHA/IN, BELGIUM."

FREE-WHEEL Ann BRAKE He's Foe BIcYcn s'j Application filed April '5;

TdaZZ whom it'ma concern-r I Be it known that I, Pnosrnn BoUReARo, a subject of the King oftheBelgians, res-1d'- ing at Dolhein, Belgium, Rue Mouhn en" Rhliyfi, have invented 3 new and usefulImf provement in Free-Wheel'and Br'alce Hnbs for Bicycles, of whichthe following lsa' specification.

The present invention relates to enunproved free-wheel and brake hub for by cycles and more particularly has tor lts mainobject to provide ahub of theklnd referred'to which willbe simpler and easier of""const ruction andv more" satisfactory" in operation than the known types of such" hubs, and which will adniitot itsparts "being niore readilytakento piecesand assem bled and will make it possible to obtain a bettenlubrication by permitting the use of Vaseline or the like as a lubricant.

With these and other objects oflesseriinportan'ce in view, the' invention more par-j ticularly' consists of a novel comb nat on and ar'ran'gementof specific parts of which thefina 'in' eleinentis; constituted by a seg: mentary nut through thednediuin of which thedr iving' free Wh'eeln-nd brake actions are obtained; and which is forth'e purposeprd' v'id'ed internally with 'sc'rew thre'ads of tri angular or substantially 1 equivalent section and arranged, to cooperate with" a corresfpondingly threaded 1 sleeve having the chain 'iiiion which rceivs'the operative impiilsionfitted thereon; one" of the essentigtl' featuresof the invention consistingtherein thatth'e said segmenmry nut iscap'able both offlo'ngitudinal movement in relation to the sleeve referred to and of having its segments forced'radially against the inner 'surface of the hub casing. I

In"o rde'r that the invention may be more-1 readily understood," one embodiment of; sem'e'is', by way of exampleonly, illustrated bythe accompanying drawing, wherem:

F igQl iselongitudinel sectlon through one forni ofthe' improved hub according to the invention.

'Figs.' 2 and '3 are respectively a longitu dinal' section throngh and an end view'o'f the segmentaryllnut;

Figsfg 4and 5" ar'e'respec-tive1y a side and an lend view of a toothring forming a part of the hub referred to.

Rfer'ringtq the' drawing, 1' indicates' a' hub casing of which the end portions are 1923. Serial'Nb. 636,177.

silitably ormed-inte1 na11yw forl'n oiiter" ball racesfor the" ba11bearing's,1the bore of the sziid'hlibcasing 1 being cylindrical ex' ceptl'adjacent one-"end; to theleft haiid side of-Figfll, where it isniztde conical. It is to theouter flanges 1' of this hub-casing l that the spokes connectingthe linb'to the rim- 0f the'wheel are seeiired 2- indica tesa sleeve mounted onthe axle! amended with a double right ,handedf screw thread of triangularsection and which forms towards one-end,{a*-cone can: stituting an inner 7 ball-race for a ball b'eer ingl The said-"endof the sleeve easier-nine providedwitha right handed screw threitd to receive the chain pinion 3' and with'a" left handed screw thread-to receivealocli f nut 4 which prevents the chain" pinion" 3; froni'becomi'ng loosep 1 5 indicates asegmentary niwprermbiy' made ofgunmeteL .this ndt lminga p'lnrality of longitudinal-slots 5 ciit therein-- at intervals on ns 'eiicumnienc (see Figs} 2' and 3) so as -to'divi'de seidci'i'cunlference into a number of se g liients forming 'eechanarc of a circle. The said slots 5' aie lnade to start alternatelyffrbrfi one end-and the othe'r of the I1 l1 t 5 t O finishf near the re? spectively 'oppositeiendfi; e l they are in" staggerednineties; and oneot the sztid slots prefer'dbly runs right through the whole length of the niit in ordeif to increase" the elasticity" thereof in a radial direction.

The said niit 5is provided-internally with a" double" right handed screw-thread of triangi'11ar seetion engaging the screw threiid of the sleevefl, and has one end madeeon ical as shown to fit the corresponding con ical'portion ofthehub casing 1; llithis conical end ofthe nut 5- the s10t s'5 aremade wider to receive radial'projectionsY5" provided on a" steel tooth ring illustrated in deteil by Figst and 5. The conical botsof the said end of the nut- 5 is'niede to-snit the conical'snrfiice of the steel ring- 6" between the projections 6', and. the endtin this cone 7 has its'face adjacent the conical,

end of the nut cut to form teeth capable of engaging those of thetoothring 6, and the outer faceof the cone? has a diametral groove formed therein to receive a lever arm 9 by means of whichit is rigidly connected to the frame of the bicycle. As a consequence, the cone 7 is maintained stationary. The axle 8 has a longitudinal groove 8 formed therein to receive a pin 10 provided toprevent the rotation of a ring 10 fitted on the axle Swithin the toothring 6. The said ring 10 has its outer periphery formed with a circumferential groove in which is located a blade spring 11 having, one of its ends free and which almost entirelysurrounds the ring 10 and exerts a slight pressure on the inner periphery of the toothring 6. v

12 indicates a cone forming the inner ball-race for the ball-bearing within the end of the sleeve 2. carrying the chain pinion 3, the said cone 12 being here shown screwed onto the axle 8; it may however be made in one piece with the said axle.

13 indicates a thin washer having asmall projection engaging the longitudinal groove 8 of the axle 8, and 14 is a washer having a concave surface against which bears the convex surface of a nut 15 screwed onto the corresponding end of the axle 8.

The nut 15 in cooperation with the washers 14 and 13 serves to maintain the parts of the 'hub in position in relation to the cone 12 on the opposite end of the axle and thus prevents said parts from becoming illadjusted. v

16 and 17 indicate thebrackets formed at the ends of the corresponding frame member of the bicycle to carry the rear axle, which is maintained by means of the nuts 18 and 19, this latter nut having the usual extension to provide a step for the cyclists foot when 'mounting onto the bicycle. i

The operation of the above described improved hub is the following:

Referring to Fig.1, which shows the normal position of the parts, i. e. the position when it is desired to drive the rear wheel of the cycle, the chain pinion 3, driven through the medium of the chain, causes the rotation of the sleeve 2 of which the double right handed thread draws the segmentary and the circularv nut 5 towards the right until its conical end fits snugly in the corresponding portion of the hub casing 1 andthus causes through friction the rotation of the said hub casing and thus of the wheel. The wheel is thus ment of rotation but, as the sleeve 2 has stopped rotating simultaneously with the chain pinion 3 the said segmentary nut owing to the engagement of the male and female triangular screw threads of the sleeve 2 and the nut 5 respectively moves towards the left and its conical end becomes disengaged from the corresponding conical portion of the bore of the hub casing 1 sothat:

the latter is able to rotate as a free-wheel.

If, inorder to obtain a brake action, the

cyclist pushes the pedals backwards, the chain pinion 3 causes the sleeve 2 to rotate in a direction. which owing. .to thedouble triangular screw thread thereof'being righthandedcauses the segmentary nut 5 to move towards the left until stopped from moving further by a suitable abutmentconstitut'ed by that face of the cone 7 which is provided with teeth, with which the teeth of the toothring 6 fitted in the conical end of the nut 5 snap into engagement and as in consequence the segment'ary nut 5 isfthen un able either to rotate or to move any further to the left while on the other hand the triangular screw thread tends to impart to it such further movement, the sloping portions of the female thread ofthe segmentary nut are so to speak caused to climb on the sloping portion of the male thread of the sleeve 2, which results in the segments of the nut 5 being forced radially towards and against the innercylindrical surface of the hub casing 1 so as to stop the latters rotation by friction: the brake action is thus obtained. When subsequently the chain'- pinion 3 ,is rotated in the initial direc'' tion the segmentary nut 5, owing to its elasticity and to the cooperation of its position" indii the nut 5 being thus stopped the triangular screw thread causes same to move towards the left.

I claim:

1. In a free-wheel and brake hub for bicycles, the combination of a hub-casing; a sleeve provided externally with screw threads of triangular section, mounted on the axle and having one end fitted with a chain pinion; a segmentary nut within aforesaid casing having a plurality of longitudinal slots at intervals on its circumference extending along the greater portion of its length starting alternately from one end and the other, and provided internally with screw-threads ofrtriangular section engaging those of the aforesaid sleeve, substantially as described.

2. In a free-Wheel and brake-hub for bicycles, the combination of a hub-casing; a

chain pinion; a segmentary nut within aforesaid casing, having a plurality of longitudinal slots at intervals on its circumfer ence extending along the greater portion of its length starting alternately from one end and the other, and provided internally with screwthreads of triangular section engaging those of the aforesaid sleeve, said segmentary nut having one end made conical and adapted to fit a correspondingly shaped portion of the hub casing; and a toothring removably fitted in said conical end of the segmentary nut and cap-able of engagement with corresponding teeth cut in one face of a stationary element rigidly connected to the bicycle frame; substantially as described.

In testimonyv whereof I signed hereunto my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

PROSPER BOURGARD. Witnesses;

ALY BOULANGER, YVONNE RIGA. 

